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Results tagged ‘ Scott Cousins ’

First, the 28-year-old had to show he is healthy. He’s done that, recovering from a sprained right thumb, to get back on the mound. The injury caused him to miss the first half of Spring Training. He’s also recovering from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Now, Nolasco is working on getting sharp. The off time set him back in terms of polishing up his delivery and getting hitters out. The rust showed in his first two Grapefruit League starts, where he’s allowed 11 runs on 12 hits in four innings.

Nolasco is back on the mound on Wednesday when the Marlins face the Braves in Lake Buena Vista. Atlanta is starting Tim Hudson.

Between his last start and now, Nolasco has worked with pitching coach Randy St. Claire. The two have watched video and detected some glitches in his delivery.

“Just stuff that Randy and I saw,” Nolasco said. “I felt like I was flying open early, which the video obviously showed. He wanted to point that out to me, to stay closed a little bit longer.”

Nolasco also is looking to get his legs more into his delivery.

“I wasn’t really using my legs as much, which is another thing that we noticed,” he said. “It was causing me, instead of going directly to the plate, I was falling off. Those little things will come with the more that I throw.

“It’s nothing we’re worried about, but it’s something we’re working on. When I’m using my lower half a little more, it helps me stay in line through the ball and through the target.”

JUPITER, Fla. — The Marlins snapped their nine-game losing streak by beating the Cardinals on Thursday. On Friday, they look for back-to-back wins when they take on the Astros at 1:05 p.m. at Roger Dean Stadium.

Ricky Nolasco gets the start for Florida, while J.A. Happ throws for Houston.

JUPITER, Fla. — Plans to start Chris Coghlan in center field in back-to-back Grapefruit League have been scrapped.

Due to tendinitis and inflammation in his right shoulder, Coghlan will be playing in Minor League games for at least a while. Emilio Bonifacio started in center field on Thursday against the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium.

Initially, manager Edwin Rodriguez was set to go with another lineup, which included a number of backups. But Hanley Ramirez, Omar Infante and Gaby Sanchez all approached the manager and said they wanted to play, and an adjustment was made.

“The regular players all came in and said they wanted to play,” Rodriguez said. “That was good to see.”

Josh Johnson will be making the start for the Marlins. Jake Westbrook is throwing for the Cardinals.

Chris Coghlan was scratched shortly before the start of the Marlins-Nationals game at 1:05 p.m. game at Roger Dean Stadium.

Coghlan, who is recovering from surgery to his left knee, was initially set to lead off and be the designated hitter. Dewayne Wise started in center field, and John Baker was added as the designated hitter.

Javier Vazquez gets the start for Florida. Jason Marquis is pitching for Washington.

There will be no designated hitter in Monday’s Grapefruit League game at Roger Dean Stadium. So that means, Josh Johnson will be taking his first swings of Spring Training.

The Marlins are starting Johnson, and looking to throw him three or four innings. Atlanta is countering with Tim Hudson in the 1:05 p.m. ET start.

Before Johnson was shut down last year due to a back injury and sore right shoulder, he was instructed only to swing the bat when necessary. So frequently, he would take pitches rather than risk tweaking his back.

The Marlins pitchers have been hitting in the cages of late.

Monday is an exception on the Marlins’ pitchers hitting. The team plans on having them hit regularly beginning on March 22.Marlins lineup:

* Rodriguez said the dugout went silent for about five seconds when Mike Stanton pulled up while running to first base in the second inning. Stanton stumbled to the ground at first base, and he exited with a strained right quad.

“It’s still early, but we want to make sure he’s 100 percent when he is on the field,” Rodriguez said.

* With Stanton out, Dewayne Wise will receive more work in right field. Scott Cousins and Bryan Petersen also will be in the mix. Rodriguez singled Wise out, saying he likes what he is seeing from the non-roster invitee.

* Gaby Sanchez is expected to bat cleanup with Stanton out.

* Hanley Ramirez should be in the lineup on Monday in the Grapefruit League opener against the Cardinals. But center fielder Chris Coghlan will not be playing, even though he felt fine after playing a couple of innings on Sunday.

* Ricky Nolasco likely will throw off the mound for the first time on Wednesday. Nolasco has been nursing a sore right thumb.

* Catcher John Baker’s became a father on Feb. 24 when his wife, Meghan, gave birth to a baby girl.

When the Marlins head to Spring Training in mid-February, most of their regular position spots will be set. Pretty much the only job unsettled is third base, where prospect Matt Dominguez still must show he is big league ready. If the 21-year-old is, there will be little drama when manager Edwin Rodriguez fills out his lineup card.

What will be up for grabs are a few bench spot, particularly in the outfield. Heading into Spring Training, the Marlins are planning on going with Logan Morrison in left, Chris Coghlan in center and Mike Stanton in right.

A candidate to keep a close eye on is Scott Cousins.

Typically, the Marlins prefer their prospects who aren’t in the lineup every day to get steady playing time in the Minor Leagues. Cousins may be an exception. A third-round pick in 2006, he will turn 26 on Jan. 22.

A left-handed batter and thrower, Cousins has the strongest outfield arm in the organization. He is a plus defender in all three outfield spots.

Cousins has had plenty of Minor League seasoning, including 118 games at Triple-A New Orleans in 2010, where he batted .285 with 14 homers and 49 RBIs.

Late in the season, Cousins also saw action in 27 games with the Marlins, and he hit .297 with two doubles, two triples and two RBIs. His first big league hit was a walk-off, game winner to beat Atlanta. He also came through with some timely pinch-hits, going 5-for-17 (.294) in that role.

Even though he is seeking his first MLB homer, he has 55 as a Minor Leaguer. Also as a Minor Leaguer, he did something yet to be accomplished by a Florida player — hit for the cycle.

Entering Spring Training, Cousins will be looked upon as a fourth outfielder. But that doesn’t mean he won’t eventually develop into a quality every day player. In 2006, the Marlins acquired a player from the Reds who was a similar type of player. Back then, Cody Ross was an unheralded 26-year-old who was looking to prove he could play every day.

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